A couple of weeks ago, I put up a post about lunch and the lunch blog that they have for the writers at Veg News.  I love lunch, but sometimes I get in a rut. Today, I threw something together that was pretty darn tasty and I thought I’d put it up here just in case someone else is looking for lunch inspiration.

I took a package of ramen noodles, the kind that my teenagers love, in to boil.  I cut some brocoli flowerettes and added them to the boiling ramen noodles. I took a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter, mixed that with a tablespoon of Tamari (or soy sauce), and about 5 drops of chili oil. When the ramen noodles finished cooking, I drained them almost all the way (leave about 1 tb water in there), then poured them into a bowl.  I added the peanut butter mixture and mixed well.

Oh, man. So darn good.

I didn’t use the powdered sauce mix, which was an “Oriental” mix.  Not counting the time it took the pan to heat up in the first place, I had a great bowl of noodles and brocoli in less than 5 minutes.

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Today I got a comment from My Taste Heaven today in reference to my Spoon Apple Butter product review:

We cannot find this in Malaysia. Hope to try this Apple Butter, seems very yummy to me !!!

So, I’m putting up some links to Apple Butter recipes today, because Apple Butter is indeed “yummy,” and I’d like My Taste Heaven to be able to try it, too.

Here’s a version from the Food Network website, by way of Gourmet magazine. It features tart Granny Smith apples.

If you prefer to use a slow cooker, you can find a recipe here. In fact, Just Slow Cooking has more than 40 different Apple Butter recipes.

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Are you a fan of salsa?

Around my house, that’s a silly question - we love salsa in any form. During the Summer months, I make my own or I buy the kind that is in the refrigerated section of my supermarket.  I’m not always a fan of a canned or jar salsa, because I like the simple flavors of the ingredients and so many jarred salsas are muddied by too many spices and preservatives.

I tried Dei Fratelli All-Natural Salsa for the first time a few weeks ago. They sent me a package of three of thier salsas - Original Mild, Original Medium, and Black Bean n’ Corn Medium.  We tried the salsa on chips, quesadillias, burritos, pretzels, and salad. I used half of the Black Bean n’ Corn salsa as the base in a pot of chili (worked great). It’s good salsa, good flavor, good texture.

I try to feed my family fresh vegetables and fruits when possible, but cooked tomatoes are actually higher in the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene  is believed to help fight old age and prevent cancer. You can find Dei Fratelli All-Natural Salsa here.

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First, Spoon operated as a catering company, when it was opened in 1999, by Cordon Bleu-trained chef, Melissa Chmelar. As the demand for Chmelar’s food grew, she opened  a retail location. It grew further and tbsp, a restaurant was born. (tbsp is located at 17 West 20th St., New York, NY, 10011). Melissa Chelmar’s use of fresh, locally grown ingredients and products prepared in a way that is “contemporary with a twist,” are key to her continued success.

I tried the Apple Butter. I found it to be full of apples with just the right amount of cinnamon. It’s described on the website as being like “…the best part of an apple pie.” That’s just what it’s like, only better for you, because you can spoon it on your whole wheat toast. (Toast. I love toast.) My daughter caught me eating the apple butter straight out of the jar. That was a little embarrassing.

Also available are breakfast mixes, granola, maple syrup, baking mixes, fresh fruit jams, and gift baskets.

Image credit: Michelle

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I live in Northern California, in an apartment, with a front patio. My patio faces West, so I get a lot of (hot) afternoon sun in the Spring and Summer. I have a lot of flowers out front, herbs, and a few trees - including a miniature lemon. Here’s a shot of Sarah on the patio last Summer……..

Last Summer, I grew a couple of heirloom tomato plants in pots and they did okay, but not great. This year, I have a new plan. I’m going to pick up some bigger containers - a couple of wine barrels, build a couple simple planters - and I’m going to work on a bigger garden. I’ll detail more of the plan here as I go, but for now, I’m in the dreaming and planning stages. I have some challenges - lots of snails and neighbor kids who sometimes pull things off my plants - but I have plans for the challenges, as well. Vigilance will be my most important weapon - watching for both snails and curious kids.

About 20 years ago, I used to get this lovely seed catalogue in the mail - Shepherd’s Seeds. It was full of heirloom seeds, illustrations, and recipes. I loved it! Today, just for the heck of it, I did a search and I found that the original owner, Renee Shepherd, sold the company, but here’s the good news - she now has an online catalog.  WooHoo!  You can see it here. I’m sure that I will be a very frequent visitor.

Now, I’m off to do more dreaming of my garden…..

Image credit: Michelle

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One of the color trends for Spring 2009 is a bright, bold yellow. We are currently in the midst of a big, cold, gray rainstorm here in California, so bright, bold yellow is looking pretty darn good about now.

Here are a few choices……

Jorja Fox Mustard
Matt & Nat
Retails for $265

Vegan Leather with recycled faux suede lining with the dimensions 12.75 inches in length, 10.5 inch height, and 4.5 width.

Takumi Mustard
Matt & Nat
Retails for $245

Mustard yellow vegan leather with recycled faux suede lining. The Takumi bag has pockets for your cell phone, your organizer, your lip balm. It measures 19.75 inches in length, 12 inches in height, and 1 slim inch in width.

Eco Yellow Wristlet/Clutch
So She Sew’s Shop - Etsy.com
Retails for $20

Cute bag made of fused plastic bags. It features a pleated front with snap closures and a strap make of pink lace. It measures 5.5 inches high and 10 inches wide. I like the eco-friendly integrity of this purse, plus it’s hard to beat the price.

Matt & Nat image credit: Mooshoes.com

Eco Yellow Wristlet image credit: So She Sews Shop - Etsy.com

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Funky Monkey Snacks, “Fruit that crunches,” is an instant favorite with my family.  Dried fruit done with a tasty twist - unique flavor combos.  This is not the same dried bananas that my mom used to buy.

Funky Monkey snacks are freeze-dried fruit and they come in 4 flavors:

Bananmon - organic cinnamon and organic bananas (the kid’s favorite)
Carnival Mix - a mixture of banana, pineapple, apple, papaya, and raisins
Jivealime - organic pineapple and organic lime juice (this was my favorite, very tangy)
Purple Funk - organic banana and organic acai

Each bag of dried fruit snacks contains 3 servings, 110 calories in Bananmon, Carnival Mix, and Jivealime.  There are 120 calories in Purple Funk.

Carnival Mix has 34% of the Vitamin C needed in a day. Fiber runs between 2 and 3 grams a serving. They are a great edition to a sack lunch or as an after school snack. Sarah liked to sprinkle the Carnival Mix on her yogurt or you can stir it into instant oatmeal before microwaving.

Funky Monkey fruit snacks are available at Super Target, Whole Foods, Winn Dixie, or click here for a complete list, including online shops.

As I mentioned yesterday, here’s my new kitty, Amelia. Isn’t she a sleeping beauty?

Funky Monkey image credit: Amazon.com
Lovely Amelia image credit: Michelle

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We adopted a kitty from the Humane Society today. Her name is Amelia and she’s a Torti or Tortoiseshell cat. That means she looks like a combination of a Tabby cat and a Calico - very interesting coloring. I don’t have her photo yet, but I’ll get it up tomorrow.

Our local Humane Society is a low-kill/no-kill shelter. It houses animals from all over the state. Last Spring, Sarah and I did a 5K run/walk that was a benefit for the shelter. We had so much fun and we were happy to find out that Darla, the dog we ran with, had been adopted. Here’s a photo of Sarah and Darla in our lovely Bidwell Park.

I’m feeding her the Iams food that the Humane Society sent home with her, but I’m wondering if anyone had some vegetarian cat food to recommend.  The last time I owned a kitty, about 11 years ago, I feed my pet traditional cat food.  The last furry pet we had, our guinea pig Whoobie who passed away in December, was a vegetarian pet. He ate nuts, fruit, romaine, spinach, but some of what he ate had honey on it, so he wasn’t a vegan guinea pig. I miss that little guy.

I’m also trying something new with the litter. I bought some Feline Pine litter. It smells just like the bedding we used with Whoobie, but that’s probably because the box is still pretty clean.  Oh, man, a cat box again?  That’s not the fun part, that’s for sure.

I’m off to try to get some sleep now. Amelia kitty is a night owl, that’s for sure.

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Today has been A Day. My kids have all needed me in one way or another and so I’m making this post a Round Up.  I’ll be back tomorrow with something new and different, but in the meantime, here’s some interesting posts that I’ve been reading ………
Eliza at She Knows Coupons has a link to free frozen Kashi meals.  Most of the meals have meat, but it looks like 4 are meatless choices.

Linette, at Mother Earth’s Garden, has some great tips about which garden fruits and vegetables to plant for the long-term enjoyment. A few to keep in mind include pumpkins, potatoes, and kale.

Tomorrow is Saturday, which means two things for me and my youngest, Sarah. It’s a yoga and basketball day. We take a yoga class in the morning and Sarah is on her next to last weekend of basketball season. Susan, at She Knows Yoga, has a post up about throwing your own yoga party.

And last, here’s what Kay and her mom have been cooking up this month black beans and then a recipe that features the beans called Texas Caviar. Yum.

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Farm Sanctuary - both the facility in New York and the facility in California - now hosts a blog called Sanctuary Tails: News From Behind Farm Sanctuary’s Barn Doors. Read about Sanctuary inhabitants like Kiev Hen, a chicken who survived a botched debeaking and now resides happily in the turkey barn, spending her days in the sun and her nights with her feathered friends.

I showed my daughter Farm Sanctuary blog last night and she was still talking about Kiev today. Reading about the hen, factory farming practices become more than an abstract idea. It became real and horrifying and something that she wanted everyone to understand. “We’ve got to get Greg out there,” Bailey said about her boyfriend.  The idea that Kiev is now free to enjoy the rest of her days, well that thrills Bailey.

Here’s an excerpt from the Kiev Hen entry:

Kiev hen is one of the incredible animals at the California Shelter who people remember most. Visitors are often first struck by her unusual appearance – as she was the victim of a botched debeaking procedure when she was just a chick and left with a short beak that now has two large, bulbous tissue growths on its top and bottom. Once you get to know Kiev a bit more, however, it is her spunky and outgoing personality that really makes this brave factory farming survivor stand out from the crowd.

My family lives within 20 minutes of the California Sanctuary and we are hoping to make a visit soon. When I do, I’ll tell you all about it.

Image credit: Farm Sanctuary.com

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Lifeway Kefir Probiotic Wellness Bars taste great. I’ve had the opportunity to try quite a few different types of brobiotics lately - bars, yogurts, juices - and pretty much nothing nothing can beat the Sweet n’ Salty Peanut bar from Lifeway.

Probiotics are good bacteria that aid in digestion. They work within the digestive tract to rebalance the system. Good health begins with good digestion. The bars contain the same probiotics as liquid Kefir, but Lifeway Probiotic Wellness Bars do not require refrigeration, which makes them useful for people on the go. I have two teenagers and the only way that I can get them to eat in the morning is to stick some sort of bar in their hand on the way out the door.

Here’s an explanation of Kefir from the Lifeway website:

Kefir is the cousin of yogurt and it’s roots can trace back more than 2000 years. Originating in the Caucasus Mountains of Europe where people live well past 100 years, the word Kefir is thought to have been derived from the Turkish word “Keif” for “good feeling”, probably due to the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.

Now Lifeway Foods, America’s leader in Kefir, has taken the probiotic power found in traditional Kefir, and transformed it into a nutritious, convenient, on the go, snack bar. Lifeway’s Kefir Wellness Bar contains the essential daily probiotics your body needs, and the great taste you deserve.

The bars are available in Chocolate Crisp (Good), Pomegranate (Tastes more like cranberry, but very good), and Sweet N’ Salty Peanut (super yummy).

Image credit: Lifeway.net

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Vegetarians or veggie-interested folks in the Portland, Oregon area might be interested in checking out a series of classes given by Northwest VEG (Vegetarian Education & Empowerment Group). The classes offered are the Master Vegetarian Program or Veg 101.

Here are a couple of brief class descriptions that I got from OregonLive.com:

Master Vegetarian: Modeled after the Master Recycler Program and the Metro Master Gardener Program, the nine-week Master Vegetarian Program was piloted by Northwest VEG in 2007 to teach interested members of the community about the environmental and epidemiological impact of food choices. Now in its fourth run, the program continues to attract both vegetarians and omnivores by offering thought-provoking lectures and discussion about the science and politics of food. Co-sponsored by People’s Food Co-op and the National College of Natural Medicine. Tuesdays, March 24 to May 19, Southeast & Southwest Portland.

Veg 101: The six-week Veg 101 program provides many of the same lectures along with weekly cooking classes covering grains, legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and more. Designed primarily for beginners, although even long-term vegetarians and vegans can benefit from this series. Sundays, March 1 to April 12, Beaverton.

For more information, click here.

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I was reading today about Spice Girl Mel B who has a new workout dvd out called, “Totally Fit, Mel B.“  She’s been making the talk show circuit and sharing her advice for getting “totally fit.”  I watched Mel a few years back on the show, “Dancing With the Stars.”  She went from post-baby body, to hard body pretty quickly, but dancing 5 hours a day could do that to a person. I like her attitude- a sort of no nonsense tough lady attitude that she tempers with a great laugh.  I also like that the healthy snacks she mentions are all vegan.

Here’s some of Mel’s get fit advice:

*Before getting out of bed, “give yourself some positive affirmations.” (Is this like smiling in the mirror and saying, “Hello beautiful”?)

*Keep good for you, healthy snacks in your bag so that you won’t be tempted to snack on junk.  Mel carries “pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, apples, and bananas.” Mel is a smart girl - she’s got a good selection of good fats, protein, and carbs there. She also advocates bringing water with you when you go about your day.

*Take time out for yourself - even if it’s just 20 minutes a day.

*Do your nails. I’m not a fingernail girl, I keep my short, but I always have fancy toenails.  The point is to take care of yourself.

*Mel B likes natural beauty treatments - a body scrub made of honey and brown sugar, olive oil for the hair.

*Commit to working out. Start with once a week and when you develop a good routine, start challenging yourself.

Here’s Mel B looking fit with the rest of the Spice Girls.

Image credit: All Posters.com

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I love lunch and have never been one of those people who skip it. Or breakfast. How does a person not wake up hungry?

Sometimes I skip dinner, but that’s just because I’ve had way too big of a lunch. I don’t like to go to bed with too-full of a stomach and I usually get my run in during the evening hours.  Full tummy - not fun for running, trust me.

Veg News has a lunch blog where the writers share what they are eating. I find it gives me some great ideas when I’m in a rut with my usual peanut butter and honey on whole wheat. Plus, I’m nosey and I love to see or hear what everyone else is eating. Or cooking.

Take a look at this one. Burritos. Yum! I love a burrito with lots of guacamole. And lime.

Okay, it’s nowhere near lunch time, but now I’m hungry.

Have you eaten and blogged about it lately? If you have, please leave a link in the comments.

Image credit: All Posters.com

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Oh Nuts! carries a great selection of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, candy, and coffee beans. I recently had the opportunity to try their Almonds, Cashews, Dried Turkish Apricots, and Turkish Pistachios.

Here are the things that I liked about the products that I tried:

*The order arrived very quickly.
*The cashews and almonds were larger than any almonds and cashews that I have every tried before.
*All the nuts were fresh and flavorful.
*The pistachios had a tasty seasoning.
*The apricots were good-sized and just lovely, no brown spots, very good flavor.
*The packaging was handy - plastic bags with zip-lock tops.

The only thing that I didn’t like about them was that I’m used to a larger pistachio. I think I’m spoiled by the pistachios that are available locally or the pistachios that I was able to try for the giveaway I hosted last month. It would take an exceptional nut to sway me.

Image credit: Michelle

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I got a comment from Hillary. She mentioned that it was easy to make smoothies at home. And it is!  I make them for my family all the time and they are extremely adaptable.

The first step is to freeze very ripe bananas. You know the bananas that have turned brownish and spotty?  Those are perfect - sweet and very ripe. Cut them into pieces about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick, place in a single layer in a zip-lock bag. Pop the bag in the freezer and you’ve got your base. The thick, frosty bananas do away with the need for ice cubes, so your smoothie is all fresh, fruity flavor.

I purchase bags of frozen fruit at the grocery store - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, anything. Mixed fruit works great. I like this combination of melon, peaches, strawberries, and grapes that I get at Safeway. You can add anything you’ve got around the house - pineapple is especially good. I’ve added blood oranges and kiwis that are fresh. Experiment with whatever sounds good.

Next, you put the fruit in your blender and you add juice or soy milk to cover. If you’ve got a cheap blender, like me, you may have to add more juice to get it to pulse correctly.  I like to use an orange juice that is enriched with calcium, because I’ve got two teenagers who don’t get enough calcium, but you can use any kind of juice. Cranberry might be a bit tart, so if you use that, make up for the tartness with some very sweet fruit. You can also use yogurt, soy milk (vanilla soy milk is wonderful in a smoothie), or a combination of fruit juice and yogurt.

I find the combination of fruit and juice to be sweet enough, but you can add honey, raw sugar, or Truvia to taste, if you like. You can also add peanut butter, flax seed meal, protein powder - like I said, they are very adaptable.

Here are some combo ideas:

*banana, vanilla soy milk, peanut butter
*orange juice, strawberry, vanilla yogurt
*apple juice, pineapple, strawberry, peach
*pineapple-orange juice, peach, vanilla soy milk
*orange juice, peach, vanilla yogurt

Be creative and if you come up with something fantastic, please share it with us in the comments.

Image credit: All Posters.com

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I just got home from Jamba Juice, where I picked up smoothies for Sarah and myself.  As I was sitting there, waiting for my Mango Madness smoothie, it occurred to me that Jamba Juice is a not only yummy, but also pretty healthy.  They don’t add sugar to their smoothies, there’s no saturated fats, and they use fresh fruit. 

There’s something new on the menu - they now offer steel-cut organic oats topped with fruit, soy milk, and brown sugar. I didn’t buy one, it’s the middle of the day, and I’m going to yoga soon, but I am definitely making myself a nice bowl of oats tomorrow for breakfast.

My family took a road trip last week and it wasn’t easy to find good things to eat and it’s not always easy to pack food for the road that the kids will actually want to eat. I could have used a Jamba Juice pit stop. Maybe someday there will be more Jamba Juices and less McDonalds. 

How about you?  Do you have a quick place that you like to go to for a quick and healthy treat?

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Change is on the way.

Tom Vilsack, brand spanking-new US secretary of agriculture has put the focus back on healthy food, by re-instating previously canceled funding for fruit and vegetables growers. The 3.2 million dollar fund that was done away with during ex-President George W. Bush’s tenure, is largely figurative - unfortunately 3.2 million no longer goes as far as it used to - but the fact remains that it puts healthy food back into a place of importance.

Secretary Tom Vilsack says that it is the Department of Agriculture’s new mission to “champion anyone who eats.” One of the ways that this will be accomplished is through a more healthy school lunch program.

According to USDA’s own surveys, 90 percent of American children consume excessive amounts of fat and only 15 percent eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.

Not surprisingly, nearly half of American children are overweight, 25 percent have high cholesterol and blood pressure, and 30,000 suffer from Type 2 diabetes, once limited to adults. Their early dietary flaws become lifelong addictions.

“We want the link between what children eat and their knowledge of food’s origin to be clearer.I noticed it in my family, if children are educated since the beginning to eat better the impact can be  outstanding” declared Tom Vilsack as he explained its agreement with food education campaigns in schools.

Image credit: All Posters.com

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I am currently out of town, on vacation, at my sister’s house. She lives in Southern California and the wind is really roaring here. I went out front to take photos of her kids and my kids playing ball and when we came in, my face felt so tight, my lips chapped. I packed a short version of my usual skincare routine and I’m really regretting that now.

I vow to never let that happen again. I’m going to find a set of small-size skincare products that are easy to tuck in a bag and go.  Something like Rare2B Vegan Natural Skin Care. These products are vegan and made from all natural ingredients. Good for my skin, good for the environment- what more could a girl ask for?

Rare2B Travel Size Skincare kit

The kit includes the Conditioning Body Lotion (1 ounce), Detox Facial Mask (1 ounce), Hydrating Day Cream (1 ounce), and Restorative Night Cream (1 ounce), all in a beautiful and eco-friendly package of recycled paper printed with soy ink.

This kit is a great way to pamper yourself while traveling, and is also an ideal gift.

100% Vegan 4 bottles at 4 oz (120 g)

 

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Happy Valentine’s Day to everybody!!

I’m enjoying a wonderful visit with my extended family today.  My brother-in-law gave me a Valentine’s card that brought tears to my eyes - I’m very lucky in the brother-in-law department.

We are making yummy heart-shaped pizzas and the kids got heart-shaped cookies on a stick (seriously, like flowers, very cute).  Robin, my sister, picked the crust up at Trader Joes earlier today, which I think it a great idea when you are entertaining a house full of kids.  Do you have a Trader Joes near you? If you are lucky enough to be close to one, it’s a great place to shop for vegetarian items like vegan cheese, high-protein tofu, organic vegetables, hummus, frozen fancy entrees - really pretty much anything you can think of. 

Well, I’m off to decorate pizzas. Take care!

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